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"You know, Riza, you don't have to stay up with me. You can go to bed if you want."

This wasn't the first time that Roy had said that to his master's daughter. For the past few nights, Riza had been coming into his room while he either worked or studied, at first claiming that it was because of insomnia but later admitting that she did it out of her own desire to keep him company. While he appreciated her presence and how inexplicably calming he found it could be to him, he couldn't help but he concerned over Riza's sleep schedule. She'd often come into his room at around ten or so and not leave until Roy either went to bed or finished assignments, which could be anywhere from two to four in the morning. Riza was younger than him (only by a year and a half but, to Roy, that still counted for something) and needed her sleep, which is why he'd remind her of her non-mandatory attendance. This night, the sixth she'd spent with him, was no different. Roy hoped, though, that she'd listen to him this time and choose to get more than five hours of sleep.

Just like the first five nights, however, Riza was set to stay with him.

"Mister Mustang, if you say that one more time, I'm going to start thinking you don't want me around. I've told you before, this is what I want. It's not a job to me or something I think is mandatory. It's something I like doing. Even overconfident boys like you must get lonely sometimes, working in the dead of the night on alchemy. I figured you could use some company," Riza replied from her place at the large leather chair in the corner of the room, a chair that had become her go-to spot in Roy's room. She pulled her knees to her chest and gave him a small smile, a hint of amusement in her eyes.

"Besides," she added, nodding at the papers on Roy's small desk, "I think you have more important things to worry about right now."

Roy gave her a wary look at the mention of assignments but turned around back to his desk, picking up his pencil. A few minutes later, he put the pencil down and spoke again.

"You know, Riza-"

"Work."

Her tone indicated that not only would she not entertain Roy's suggestion, he definitely would not be the winner of this argument tonight. With a small chuckle at Riza's blunt tone, Roy picked up his pencil again and returned to his work.

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At around midnight, Roy noticed that Riza's breathing, which usually mingled perfectly with the soft ticking of the clock and the scratching of Roy's pencil, had changed, becoming deeper and more even. Suspecting that her possible lack of sleep had finally caught up with her, Roy turned around and saw that Riza had indeed fallen asleep. Her body was now in a more relaxed position than before, with her legs dangling over the end of the chair, her arms slack at her sides and her head resting against the back of the chair. Roy smiled at the peaceful expression on her face. He contemplated carrying her to bed but, after a few minutes' internal debate, he decided to let her be, mostly out of worry that moving her around might wake her up. His smile fell slightly when he saw her shiver, causing Roy to remember that the temperature was supposed to drop that night and the house, especially his room, wasn't the best insulated. He found a blanket that had been laying in a heap on the floor and wrapped Riza up in it, moving her ever so slightly to get it to cover her shoulders and body completely.

She stirred and Roy froze for a moment, relaxing only when Riza, instead of waking, curled herself up inside the blanket, subconsciously recognizing the warmth the blanket gave her. Roy kissed the top of her head and, after directing another soft smile towards Riza, he sat back down at his desk, returning to his work. In the morning, she'd wake up and inquire about the blanket. In reply, Roy would say this.

"It was cold outside last night, Riza. You know how drafty this house can get. If I hadn't covered you up, you might have gotten sick. I can't have my only company catching a cold."